Side delivery rake



Dnc. 13, 1949 E, 1 RlETZ 2,491,211

SIDE DELIVERY FAKE Filed Dec. 18, 1944 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Dec. 13, 1949 E. RnETzl sInE DELIVERY 1mmv 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 18, 1944 Patented Dec. 13, 1949 SIDE DELIVERY BAKE Edward L. Rietz, Riverside, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 18, 19,44, Serial No. 568,667

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved side delivery rake and has for one of its principal objects the provision of means for maintaining the driving gear box in substantial level position regardless of the height adjustment of the raking cylinder.

An important object of the invention is to provide a parallel link suspension for automatic levelling of the driving gear box, whereby vertical adjustment of the rake cylinder will not hin der or affect driving thereof.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a side delivery rake wherein the diagonally positioned raking cylindermay be raised vertically uniformly from the front to the rear thereof.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of a side delivery rake of the front and rear wheel support type and wherein the raking cylinder suspended therebetween may be raised uniformly by the joint raising of the front and rear wheel supports.

Another Iand further important object is to provide a single control means for simultaneously tilting the front and rear wheel supports of a side delivery rake.

A still further important object of the invention is to achieve power lifting and lowering of the raking cylinder by the combined raising and lowering of the supporting arms of the front and rear wheel trucks.

Still another object of the invention lies in providing a self-contained manual lifting unit for jointly effecting the tilting of front and rear wheel trucks.

Other and further important objects of this invention will become apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a too plan view of the side delivery rake of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the rake as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view detail showing ra modification of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the modified portion shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the rake drive gearing.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral Il) indicates generally a rake frame consisting of individual frame members Ia and Ib each having a downwardly inclined portion I IaJ and l Ib rat the rear thereof forthe support of a wheel truck I2. The wheel truck l2 comprises a nair of wheels I3 and I4 joined by an axle I5. The axle I 5 rotates with the rear ground wheels I3 and-gld and, as will later be described, forms the source of power for operating the rake cylinder I6. Arms I1 and I8 are journaled on the driving axle I5 and, in turn, are joined by a tubular cross-frame member I9. The depending portions IIa and IIb of the frame I0 are journally mounted on the cross tube I9 at 2i) and ZI.

It will be readily understood that raising of the wheel truck I2 will effect a raising or lowering of the frame i0. The raking cylinder I6 is provided with a rectangular frame |60l and is suspended by means of xed links Ib from the frame members Illa and Illb in a diagonal position from the front to the rear of the implement, and a raising or a lowering of the frame I0 at its rearward end will cause a corresponding raising of the rearward end of the raking cylinder I6. Wtih such construction and without a means for raising the forward end of the raking cylinder, the rake would operate unevenly. To overcome this ill effect, provision is made so that the front wheel truck 22 consisting of a wheel 23, a wheel holding fork 24, a yoke 25, and a pair of spreading arms 25 and 2l extending upwardly and rearwardly from the yoke 25 join a cross shaft 28 which is squared in cross-section. Each arm 26 and 2'I is clamped to the square shaft 28 so that rotation of this shaft will cause a Varying inclination of the arms 26 and 2'I.

The forward endsof the frame members Illa and Ib are fixedly attached by means of welding, or the like, to relatively large diameter pipe sections 29 and 30 at 3| and 32. The pipe sections 29 and 3D superpose the square shaft 28 which is adapted upon rotation to cause the raising or the lowering of the forward end of the raking cylinder I5, whereby a uniform height of the raking cylinder may be obtained from the front to the rear thereof.

One of the principal objects of this invention was stated to be the achievement of simultaneous raising and lowering of the front and rear wheel trucks through a single operating mechanism. Upwardly extending arms 33 and 34 are fixed to the square shaft 2d at the outer ends thereof. Link members 3.5 and 36 are attached to the upper ends of the arms 33 and 34, respectively, and each extends rearwardly substantially following the frame members lila and 59h. Arms 31 and 38 are fastened to the cross member I9 at the rear end of the implement and extend upwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The rear ends of the links 35 and 35 are attached to s-wingable guide arms 39 and 40 which are provided at 4l and e2, respectively, on theframemembers I lia-and I lib. Additional links is and it join the swingable arms 3S and lil, respectively, and extend rearwardly, and are attached to the upper ends of the arms 31 and 38, respectively. It will be apparent that swinging of the forwardly positioned arms 33 and 34 will cause a similar swinging of the arms 31 and 38 through the linkage just described. The arms 31 and 38 are, in fact, upward extensions of the wheel supporting members I1 and I3, respectively, and a swinging of the arms 31 and 38 will cause a change in the angular inclination of the members I1 and I8 and, hence, a raising or a, lowering of the rake supporting frame with respect to the ground level. It will be evident that rotation of this shaft 28 will cause a simultaneous raising or lowering of the front and rear wheel trucks I2 and 22 so that the frame I0 is raised uniformly throughout its entire length.

The particular means of effecting rotation of the cross-shaft 28 may be by manual controls or may be power operated from the power driven mechanisms on the pulling tractor. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the rotation of the shaft 28 is effected by a hand-crank 45. The crank 45 has an extending arm 45a journaled in a bearing 46 which is supported by members 41 and 48 welded or otherwise attached to and projecting forwardly from the pipe members 29 and 30 respectively. A housing 49, preferably cast, is welded or otherwise fastened between the inner ends of the pipe members 29 and 30. The crank arm 45a extends longitudinally through the housing 49 and is further supported by sleeve bearings or bushings 50 and 5I. The housing 49 is shown in greater detail in Figure 3 of the drawings. Thrust collars 52 and 53 are adapted to engage the crank arm 45a by means of pins 54 and 55 to insure a fixed longitudinal position of the crank arm 45a lwithin the housing 49. The portion of the crank larm 45a within the housing 49 is threaded as shown at 56. A sleeve member 51 is internally threaded and engages the threaded portion 56 of the crank arm 45a. The sleeve 51 has an upwardly extending lug member I58 through which -a pin 59 extends through slots 60 and 6I within arms 62 and 63. The arms 62 and 63 are spaced only a slight distance apart and are parallel one to the other. These arms are rigidly fastened to the square shaft 20. Ro-

tation of the crank 45 will cause a movement of the sleeve member 51 along the threaded portion 56 of the crank and, through the medium of the pin 59, the arms 62 and 63 are given angular movement. The slots 60 and 6I permit rotation of the arms 62 and 63 with the shaft 28. The shaft 28 extends entirely across the front end of the implement through the pipe members 29 and 30 and through the central housing 49. Rotation of the crank, therefore, is effective to cause a uniform raising or lowering of the raking cylinder I6 by a simultaneous tilting of the front and rear wheel truck arms. The housing 49 is substantially self-contained, being welded between the pipe members 29 and 30 which are directly supported by the frame members Ia and I0b, respectively. No further support for the housing 49 is necessary.

The raking cylinder I6 has a ground drive which is secured from the rear wheels I3 and I4. These wheels I3 and I4 are keyed or other- -wise fastened to the cross-shaft or axle I and, as they are pulled over the ground, they impart rotation to this shaft I5. A gear box 64 is mounted directly over the shaft I5, the internal structure comprising a pair of bevel gears, 64a and 64b. Bevel gear 64a is keyed or otherwise attached to the shaft I5 as shown at 64e. The box 64 is journaled for free rotation about the shaft I5 within the sleeve bearings 64d and 64e, but is maintained in a substantially horizontal position by means of a link 65 which is parallel to the wheel supporting member I1 as best shown in Figure 2. The link 65 is attached to the box 64 through an upwardly extending lug 66 on the box 64. The other end of the link 65 is attached to the frame member IIa at 61. The complementary bevel gear 64b within the box 64 has a forwardly extending shaft 68 which is parallel to the raking cylinder I6. A universal joint 69 joins the shaft 68 to a driven shaft 10, as best shown in Figure 1, which in turn drives a sprocket 1I through the medium of a universal joint 12. The driven shaft 10 is made in two parts, a square sleeve member 10a and -a square rod member 10b. The rod 10b telescopes within the sleeve 10a and is driven thereby. The telescoping of the members 10a and 10b permits variations in the overall length of the shaft 10. These slight changes in distance between the universal joints 69 and 12 are caused by vertical adjustment of the raking cylinder thus necessitating a telescoping shaft 19. This construction including the spaced universal joints and the telescoping sleeve driving shaft is shown in my prior patent 2,403,401. A chain 13 joins the sprocket 1I with a sprocket 14 mounted directly on the raking cylinder shaft 15. The parallel link 65 which supports the gear box 64 maintains the gear box in substantially horizontal position regardless of the height position of the raking cylinder. This level maintenance of the gear box 64 contributes to reduced angular change between the driving shaft 68 and the driven shaft 10 through the universal joint 59. The power required to drive through a universal joint, the component parts of which are at a relatively straight angle with respect to each other, is very slight compared to the amount of power required to drive through a universal joint, the parts of which are at an angle considerably less than a straight angle. The use of this parallel link 65 practically eliminates the need for the universal joint at 12 and all that is required is slight flexibility or greater tolerance to permit driving of the sprocket 1I even though the angle in the universal joint 69 is slightly changed. Drive through the joint 12 is efficient because the angular change of the driving element is kept at a minimum.

Figures 4 land 5 of the drawings show a modified method of effecting rotation of the shaft 28 and, hence, a raising and lowering of the front and rear wheel trucks. The method for raising and lowering the raking cylinder in Figures l and 2 1s a manual means, whereas, the modification in Figures 4 and 5 is a power means for raising the rake. The housing 49 has been completely eliminated in the power operated device. The arm 33 has been retained in this power operated device but has been equipped with a downward extension 16. The link 35Y is attached to the upper end of the arm 33, similarly to the manually operated means as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A link 11 is attached to the lower end of the arm 16 and extends rearwardly to the lower end of a lever 18 pivoted at 19 on a lug 80 extending inwardly from the frame member I 0a. An upward extension 8| of the lever 18 is adapted to support one end of a hydraulically operated cylinder 82. An extensible piston 83 of the hydraulic cylinder 82 is affixed to an upwardly extending ear or lug 84 on a pipe member 85 superposing the crossshaft 28. Flexible conduits 86 and 81 extend forwardly to the pulling tractor and are supplied with uid under pressure from the tractor through the medium of hydraulic control mechanisms on the tractor. When the piston 83 of the hydraulic cylinder 82 is extended, the lever 'i8 is rotated about its pivot 19 so that the downward extension of the lever 'I8 is swung forwardly and the link 11 moves the downward extension 'i6 of the arm 33 forwardly, and the arm 33 itself moves rearwardly to effect a lowering of the raking cylinder. A reverse movement of the piston 83 of the hydraulic cylinder 82 will effect an opposite raising movement of the raking cylinder. It is quite easy to transmit forces hydraulically and such a construction might prove more advantageous than the mechanical screw device or the power operated hydraulic system.

Numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles disclosed herein and I, therefore, do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a side delivery rake comprising a frame, a raking cylinder suspended from said frame, a tiltable rear wheel truck for effecting raising and lowering of said frame, said wheel truck including a pair of ground wheels, an axle driven between said ground wheels, and a pair of arms journaled on said axle and extending upwardly to a fixed attachment `on said frame, a gear box journaled on said axle having gears therein driven by said axle, shaft means having universal joints therein for transmitting drive from said gears to said raking cylinder, and a connecting link extending between said gear box and said frame in a substantially parallel position with respect to said pair of arms, whereby the gear ibox is maintained substantially horizontal despite the position of tilt of the rear wheel truck to effect continued efficient drive through the universal joints in the shaft means.

2. In a side delivery rake comprising a frame, a raking cylinder diagonally suspended from said frame, a tiltable rear wheel truck for effecting raising and lowering of said frame, said wheel truck including a pair of ground wheels, an axle driven between said ground wheels, land a pair of arms journaled on said axle and extending upwardly to a xed attachment on said frame, a gear box journaled on said axle having means for transmitting drive to the forward end of said raking cylinder, a drive shaft extending from said gear box forwardly along the diagonally positioned raking cylinder, a sprocket adapted to drive said raking cylinder, exible joints in said drive shaft between the gear box and said sprocket, and a connecting link extending between said gear box and said frame and being substantially parallel to said pair of arms, whereby the gear box is maintained substantially horizontal despite the position of tilt of the rear wheel and permits enicient driving through the iiexible joints by keeping the change from a straight angle in the drive shaft at a minimum.

3. In a side delivery rake comprising a frame, a raking cylinder diagonally suspended from said frame, a tiltable rear wheel truck for effecting raising and lowering of said frame, said wheel truck including a pair of ground wheels, an axle driven between said ground wheels, and a pair of arms journaled on said axle and extending upwardly to a fixed attachment on said frame,

a gear box journaled on said axle and having means for transmitting drive to the forward end of said raking cylinder, a drive shaft extending from said gear box forwardly along the diagonally positioned raking cylinder, a sprocket adapted to drive said raking cylinder, flexible joints in said drive shaft between the gear box and said sprocket, and a connecting link extending between said gear box and said frame and being substantially parallel to said pair of arms, whereby the gear box is maintained substantially horizontal despite the position of tilt of the rear wheel truck and the flexible joints are maintained at minimum inclination.

4. In a side delivery rake comprising a frame, a raking cylinder suspended from said frame, a tiltable rear wheel truck for effecting raising and lowering of said frame, said wheel truck including a pair of ground wheels, an axle driven between said ground wheels, and a pair of arms journaled on said axle and extending upwardly to a fixed attachment on said frame, a tiltable front wheel truck, a gear box journaled on said rear truck axle, shaft means having joints therein for transmitting drive from said gear box to said raking cylinder, and a connecting link extending between said gear box and said frame and being substantially parallel to said pair of arms, whereby the gear box is maintined substantially horizontal despite the position of tilt of the rear and yfront wheel trucks to permit unhindered drive through the joints in the shaft means.

5. In a side delivery rake comprising a frame, a raking cylinder suspended from said frame, a tiltable rear wheel truck for effecting raising and lowering yof said frame, said wheel truck including a pair of ground wheels, an axle driven between said ground wheels, and a pair of arms journaled on said axle and extending upwardly to a fixed attachment on said frame, a tiltable front wheel truck, means for simultaneously raising and lowering said front and rear wheel trucks, a gear box journaled on said rear truck axle having gear means for transmitting drive to said raking cylinder, and a connecting link extending between said gear box and said frame and being substantially parallel to said pair of arms, whereby the gear box is maintained substantially horizontal despite the position of tilt of the rear and front wheel trucks and as a result maintains the relative change in position of the driving means at a minimum.

EDWARD L. RIETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 886,681 Dain May 5, 1908 935,456 Blackstone et al. Sept. 28, 1909 1,007,676 Dain Nov. 7, 1911 1,257,169 Yarbrough Feb. 19, 1918 2,025,257 Vaughn et al. Dec. 24.-. 1935 2,059,205 Buington Nov. 3, 1936 2,335,510 Hansen Nov. 30, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 478,115 Great Britain Jan. 12, 1938 

